US Hotel Industry Happy to See Higher International Visitor Count in 2014
January 2014 Totals Beat January 2013 Totals by Six Percent.
The US Department of Commerce recently announced that the number of international visitors in January of 2014 beat the January 2013 international visitor count by six percent. Over 4 million of the total 5.1 million international visitors to the United States came from just 10 countries.
Canada and Mexico, countries that both share a common border with the United States, held the top two spots. China was a very distant third on the list. The list below shows the top 10 countries, the number of visitors to the US in January 2014, and the percentage change from January 2013.
Canada ………………….. 1,580,761 0%
Mexico …………………… 1,228,663 +8%
Japan ……………………… 270,598 -3%
People’s Republic of China ….. 221,705 +33%
Brazil ……………………. 208,646 +2%
United Kingdom …………….. 186,438 +3%
South Korea ………………… 138,917 +10%
Germany ……………………. 89,069 +4%
Australia ………………….. 81,167 +3%
Argentina …………………… 71,538 +11%
Notable among the US Department of Commerce figures is the big year-over-year increase for China in the month of January and Japan’s slight drop in total visitors from the prior year. South Korea, with a 10% increase, further illustrates the growing number of Asians interested in visiting the United States.
You must remember that these numbers only represent one month of an entire year. According to the National Travel and Tourism Office’s 2014 Spring Travel Forecast, there were annual international visitor count to the US in 2013 was 69.7 million, an increase of 3 million over calendar year 2012. The forecast for all of 2014 calls for 72.2 million international visitors.
Canada and Mexico accounted for almost 55% of all international visitors in January 2014. Overseas visitors made up the remaining 45% of the total 5.1 million January, 2014 international visitors to the United States. Miami, New York, and Los Angeles ports once again accounted for 41% of all overseas arrivals.
More visitors mean more money for the tourism and hospitality industry. California, for instance, is the most popular US destination for Chinese travelers. Hotels are doing their best to cater to the Chinese traveler, in part because they stay longer and spend more than travelers from almost any other country.
A combination of factors may explain the steady rise of international travel and tourism to the United States. Recognizing the importance of international tourism to the economy, President Obama issued an executive order that encouraged and made it easier for more international citizens to visit the United States. America has devoted a substantial amount of resources in many countries to help market and promote travel to the US. The standard of living is going up in places like South Korea and China, making it possible for more people to travel abroad.
While hoteliers in the United States are not throwing big parties or setting off fire works to celebrate the positive January 2014 international visitation numbers, they are smiling a little more. The hotel industry welcomes every guest from all corners of the world.
–
